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A SHOOTING STAR
Syracuse’s Hughes refines game, has lofty goals in mind
A.J.
Martelli
Poughkeepsie Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
Over the summer, Elijah Hughes allotted himself plenty of time for extra work.
The guard on the Syracuse University men’s basketball team spent hours shooting during his free time, and attempted to refine his game with the objective of becoming a more polished and consistent player.
He’s proven that practice makes perfect.
The 6-foot-6 Beacon product, who played a season at Kennedy in Lincolndale, entered the week leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in points per game – excelling against some of the top competition in the country – thanks to
Elijah Hughes drives past a Bucknell defender. Hughes, a Beacon product, has averaged 19.3 points per game for Syracuse this season, which is the highest among ACC players. TOP: MARY ALTAFFER/AP ABOVE: MARK KONEZNY/USA TODAY SPORTS
refinements that have come from those solo workout sessions.
Hughes downplayed the feat, but overall is pleased with how well he’s performed.
“It’s cool, I guess, to lead the ACC in scoring,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been playing decent. It’s been a testament to my work – kind of just me locking in this past offseason to become the best player and get into the best shape I can possibly be.”
To some who have followed Syracuse this season, those tireless hours of additional activity haven’t gone unnoticed.
“You can tell he really worked this summer,” said Tyler Lydon, Hughes’ friend and a former Orange standout. “You can definitely tell there are some smaller things that he’s tweaked that have made a huge difference in the way he’s shooting the ball and the way he’s playing in general.”
Hughes, too, has seen the evolution in his game, and mentioned he’s becoming a better shooter inside. He also said he’s getting better looks, is an improved decision-maker and is finding more scoring chances.
He hopes those improvements translate to more wins this season and a deep run into the NCAA tournament.
Those are the two short-term goals Hughes has in mind. The long-term future, however, is yet to be determined.
A redshirt junior, Hughes could declare for the NBA draft at the end of the college basketball season. He said he doesn’t yet know if he’s planning on following that course. As for now, he’s keeping his focus on the Orange.
The team had a five-game win streak halted on Tuesday when it lost to Clemson, 71-70. With the narrow defeat behind them, the Orange have perhaps the greatest challenge of the season ahead of them Saturday night when they welcome conference rival and national power Duke.
“It’s going to be really loud, but a really fun game. Something that we’re going to carry with us for the rest of our lives,” Hughes said. “So we’re going to enjoy it, but also know we’re here for business and we’re going to try to win in our home.”
Lydon, a power forward who starred at Syracuse before leaving in 2017 for the NBA, is equally amped up for the game. Lydon hasn’t been to the Carrier Dome since he left Syracuse, but is changing that this weekend. He plans to trek north to see the big game in person.
And hopefully catch up with his friend.
“I haven’t had the chance to (speak to Hughes), but I’m super excited to get up there and hopefully see the team. I’m sure I’ll be hanging out and talking to him and trying to help him with whatever I can,” Lydon said.
A shooting star
Hughes has averaged 19.3 points per game, which on Friday was second among ACC players. He trailed Louisville’s Jordan Nwora, who is averaging 19.5.
Hughes has improved upon his scoring average of 13.4 from a season ago.
Hughes insisted he’s gotten better scoring the ball inside, and his overall consistency has become paramount for the Orange, who will enter the game against Duke with a 13-8 record.
“I’m getting to the paint, getting paint touches and being a player from there,” Hughes said. “Whether I can score, see an opportunity to get fouled or get my teammates a good shot. So just being that kind of guy to make plays and score.”
Lydon mentioned Hughes has become a more “three-tiered player,” showcasing ability to shoot from 3point range, hit mid-range jumpers and finish at the rim.
“He’s scoring from all three levels which is just a huge thing. A lot of times, guys in college are either a shooter or known as being a driver or whatever it might be,” Lydon said of Hughes. “But when you’re able to score at all three levels as well as he can, it puts you in a different category, for sure.”
Beacon High School boys basketball coach Scott Timpano coached Hughes on the junior varsity team when the budding star was in eighth grade. Hughes attended Beacon for two years, during which he participated in Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s basketball camp.
He transferred to John F. Kennedy Catholic in Lincolndale, then went to South Kent High School in Connecticut for his senior year. From there, he attended East Carolina before joining Syracuse in May 2017.
Timpano has followed Hughes this year, and has seen him excel in each phase of the game.
“Not only is he a phenomenal shooter but he’s able to get to the basket. He’s one of the unheralded guys that’s moving the ball around,” Timpano said. “He’s really just kind of taken off and the ball’s been in his hands and I think down the stretch, he’s probably going to increase his scoring rate. I think it’s only going to get higher.”
Hughes added that being the team’s big scorer has almost become his responsibility by default.
The Orange lost key players from last season in Tyus Battle, Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard. Battle tried his hand at the NBA, but went undrafted. Still, he signed a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Brissett signed with the Toronto Raptors.
Howard, a senior last year, worked out for the Washington Wizards in June. That followed a suspension which kept him out of the NCAA tournament.
“With guys leaving, like Tyus, Oshae and Frank, that’s some big shoes to fill,” Hughes said. “So I know I’ve got to bring it every single game.”
NCAA tourney dreams
The season ended for Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year with a 78-69 loss to Baylor.
Hughes led the team with 25 points, despite the sting of an early exit. This year, he is eyeing a much deeper run into the playoffs, with the hopes of turning some heads along the way.
“Our main goal is to just try and win every single game that we possibly can. We want to make the NCAA tournament and just try to make a run,” Hughes said. “A lot of people have us written off, have counted us out. We know we want to get there, experience it and try to make a big time run.”
Lydon knows the team is capable of realizing such a dream.
In 2016, the Orange reached the NCAA final four, where they were dispatched by the University of North Carolina, 83-66.
However, Syracuse upset many strong foes during its Cinderella run, including Virginia, Gonzaga and Middle Tennessee.
History can repeat itself, Lydon said.
“I think anything is possible with this Syracuse team. Obviously they’re a younger team and them getting all this experience, especially right now, early on in ACC play and stuff, makes a difference,” he said. “As a Syracuse fan and a guy who played there and got to be in a tournament and all that stuff, I think they can.”
Is the NBA next?
Hughes characterized himself as a “day-to-day kind of guy,” and isn’t certain what the distant future might hold.
“I don’t look too far ahead. I just want to win as many games as I possibly can, get to the tournament, make a run and go from there,” he said. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen but I just want to focus on what I’m doing right now.”
However, many believe he is good enough to get to the next level and think he might be enticed to declare for the NBA draft after the season.
“I think it’s definitely a tempting thing to look at,” Timpano said. “I know that coach Boeheim gives excellent advice every season and I think he’s going to be tempted. You lead the ACC in scoring and it’s definitely an opportunity to look at.”
Lydon is familiar with that opportunity.
He left Syracuse after his sophomore campaign and was subsequently drafted by the Utah Jazz, then traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2017, but he became an unrestricted free agent last year. He signed with the Sacramento Kings, but was later waived.
Lydon said Hughes is talented enough to be picked by an NBA team. However, it’s going to come down to whether or not he wants to commit to a professional career.
“It obviously comes down to his decision and what he thinks is going to be best for himself and his family. Same reason why I ended up leaving, it came down to what was best for myself and the opportunity that came about,” Lydon said.
“I think he has the talent. It’s all there for him.” A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsie journal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJ_Martelli
Syracuse’s Hughes refines game, has lofty goals in mind
A.J.
Martelli
Poughkeepsie Journal USA TODAY NETWORK
Over the summer, Elijah Hughes allotted himself plenty of time for extra work.
The guard on the Syracuse University men’s basketball team spent hours shooting during his free time, and attempted to refine his game with the objective of becoming a more polished and consistent player.
He’s proven that practice makes perfect.
The 6-foot-6 Beacon product, who played a season at Kennedy in Lincolndale, entered the week leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in points per game – excelling against some of the top competition in the country – thanks to
Elijah Hughes drives past a Bucknell defender. Hughes, a Beacon product, has averaged 19.3 points per game for Syracuse this season, which is the highest among ACC players. TOP: MARY ALTAFFER/AP ABOVE: MARK KONEZNY/USA TODAY SPORTS
refinements that have come from those solo workout sessions.
Hughes downplayed the feat, but overall is pleased with how well he’s performed.
“It’s cool, I guess, to lead the ACC in scoring,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been playing decent. It’s been a testament to my work – kind of just me locking in this past offseason to become the best player and get into the best shape I can possibly be.”
To some who have followed Syracuse this season, those tireless hours of additional activity haven’t gone unnoticed.
“You can tell he really worked this summer,” said Tyler Lydon, Hughes’ friend and a former Orange standout. “You can definitely tell there are some smaller things that he’s tweaked that have made a huge difference in the way he’s shooting the ball and the way he’s playing in general.”
Hughes, too, has seen the evolution in his game, and mentioned he’s becoming a better shooter inside. He also said he’s getting better looks, is an improved decision-maker and is finding more scoring chances.
He hopes those improvements translate to more wins this season and a deep run into the NCAA tournament.
Those are the two short-term goals Hughes has in mind. The long-term future, however, is yet to be determined.
A redshirt junior, Hughes could declare for the NBA draft at the end of the college basketball season. He said he doesn’t yet know if he’s planning on following that course. As for now, he’s keeping his focus on the Orange.
The team had a five-game win streak halted on Tuesday when it lost to Clemson, 71-70. With the narrow defeat behind them, the Orange have perhaps the greatest challenge of the season ahead of them Saturday night when they welcome conference rival and national power Duke.
“It’s going to be really loud, but a really fun game. Something that we’re going to carry with us for the rest of our lives,” Hughes said. “So we’re going to enjoy it, but also know we’re here for business and we’re going to try to win in our home.”
Lydon, a power forward who starred at Syracuse before leaving in 2017 for the NBA, is equally amped up for the game. Lydon hasn’t been to the Carrier Dome since he left Syracuse, but is changing that this weekend. He plans to trek north to see the big game in person.
And hopefully catch up with his friend.
“I haven’t had the chance to (speak to Hughes), but I’m super excited to get up there and hopefully see the team. I’m sure I’ll be hanging out and talking to him and trying to help him with whatever I can,” Lydon said.
A shooting star
Hughes has averaged 19.3 points per game, which on Friday was second among ACC players. He trailed Louisville’s Jordan Nwora, who is averaging 19.5.
Hughes has improved upon his scoring average of 13.4 from a season ago.
Hughes insisted he’s gotten better scoring the ball inside, and his overall consistency has become paramount for the Orange, who will enter the game against Duke with a 13-8 record.
“I’m getting to the paint, getting paint touches and being a player from there,” Hughes said. “Whether I can score, see an opportunity to get fouled or get my teammates a good shot. So just being that kind of guy to make plays and score.”
Lydon mentioned Hughes has become a more “three-tiered player,” showcasing ability to shoot from 3point range, hit mid-range jumpers and finish at the rim.
“He’s scoring from all three levels which is just a huge thing. A lot of times, guys in college are either a shooter or known as being a driver or whatever it might be,” Lydon said of Hughes. “But when you’re able to score at all three levels as well as he can, it puts you in a different category, for sure.”
Beacon High School boys basketball coach Scott Timpano coached Hughes on the junior varsity team when the budding star was in eighth grade. Hughes attended Beacon for two years, during which he participated in Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s basketball camp.
He transferred to John F. Kennedy Catholic in Lincolndale, then went to South Kent High School in Connecticut for his senior year. From there, he attended East Carolina before joining Syracuse in May 2017.
Timpano has followed Hughes this year, and has seen him excel in each phase of the game.
“Not only is he a phenomenal shooter but he’s able to get to the basket. He’s one of the unheralded guys that’s moving the ball around,” Timpano said. “He’s really just kind of taken off and the ball’s been in his hands and I think down the stretch, he’s probably going to increase his scoring rate. I think it’s only going to get higher.”
Hughes added that being the team’s big scorer has almost become his responsibility by default.
The Orange lost key players from last season in Tyus Battle, Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard. Battle tried his hand at the NBA, but went undrafted. Still, he signed a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Brissett signed with the Toronto Raptors.
Howard, a senior last year, worked out for the Washington Wizards in June. That followed a suspension which kept him out of the NCAA tournament.
“With guys leaving, like Tyus, Oshae and Frank, that’s some big shoes to fill,” Hughes said. “So I know I’ve got to bring it every single game.”
NCAA tourney dreams
The season ended for Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year with a 78-69 loss to Baylor.
Hughes led the team with 25 points, despite the sting of an early exit. This year, he is eyeing a much deeper run into the playoffs, with the hopes of turning some heads along the way.
“Our main goal is to just try and win every single game that we possibly can. We want to make the NCAA tournament and just try to make a run,” Hughes said. “A lot of people have us written off, have counted us out. We know we want to get there, experience it and try to make a big time run.”
Lydon knows the team is capable of realizing such a dream.
In 2016, the Orange reached the NCAA final four, where they were dispatched by the University of North Carolina, 83-66.
However, Syracuse upset many strong foes during its Cinderella run, including Virginia, Gonzaga and Middle Tennessee.
History can repeat itself, Lydon said.
“I think anything is possible with this Syracuse team. Obviously they’re a younger team and them getting all this experience, especially right now, early on in ACC play and stuff, makes a difference,” he said. “As a Syracuse fan and a guy who played there and got to be in a tournament and all that stuff, I think they can.”
Is the NBA next?
Hughes characterized himself as a “day-to-day kind of guy,” and isn’t certain what the distant future might hold.
“I don’t look too far ahead. I just want to win as many games as I possibly can, get to the tournament, make a run and go from there,” he said. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen but I just want to focus on what I’m doing right now.”
However, many believe he is good enough to get to the next level and think he might be enticed to declare for the NBA draft after the season.
“I think it’s definitely a tempting thing to look at,” Timpano said. “I know that coach Boeheim gives excellent advice every season and I think he’s going to be tempted. You lead the ACC in scoring and it’s definitely an opportunity to look at.”
Lydon is familiar with that opportunity.
He left Syracuse after his sophomore campaign and was subsequently drafted by the Utah Jazz, then traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2017, but he became an unrestricted free agent last year. He signed with the Sacramento Kings, but was later waived.
Lydon said Hughes is talented enough to be picked by an NBA team. However, it’s going to come down to whether or not he wants to commit to a professional career.
“It obviously comes down to his decision and what he thinks is going to be best for himself and his family. Same reason why I ended up leaving, it came down to what was best for myself and the opportunity that came about,” Lydon said.
“I think he has the talent. It’s all there for him.” A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsie journal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJ_Martelli
